Richmond man charged in officer's killing sued over dog attack

Douglas Walker, Richmond Palladium-Item
·2 min read
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RICHMOND, Ind. — A Richmond man who faces a possible death sentence if convicted of killing a city police officer is now the target of a lawsuit alleging his dog attacked a local woman.

In her Wayne Circuit Court lawsuit, Dionne Shank alleges she was"viciously attacked" by Phillip Matthew Lee's pit bull in a North 10th Street apartment building on July 29, 2022 — 12 days before he allegedly fatally shot Richmond police officer Seara Burton.

Shank said the dog was "off-leash," and accompanied by Lee, when the canine attacked her "pelvic area," knocked her down and then dragged her "through the hallway."

The lawsuit — which also names the property's owner, K&R Hoosier Investments, as a defendant — contends Lee "knew or should have known of the dangerous propensities of his dog."

It alleges Shank suffered "lacerations, puncture wounds, scarring and never damage," resulting in medical expenses and lost wages.

More: February trial set for accused killer of Richmond police officer

The 52-year-old Shank is represented by the Stewart & Stewart law firm of Carmel.

In a hand-written response, Lee — being held in the Pendleton Correctional Facility as he awaits his murder trial, now set for Feb. 10 — says he was a tenant of a property owned by K&R Hoosier Investments, but not the North 10th Street building where the dog attack reportedly took place.

He said he was "not friends with (Shank) and has had prior dealings with (her) spreading malicious lies about him in the past."

Lee also said the account of his dog attacking the Richmond woman was a "total fabrication" in a bid to "take advantage of (Lee's) current situation."

The Richmond man is accused of shooting officer Burton in the head after she was called to assist with a traffic stop on Aug. 10, 2022.

The 28-year-old victim died in a Richmond-area hospice facility 38 days after being wounded.

Lee is also charged with two counts of attempted murder along with unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, possession of meth, possession of cocaine and possession of a narcotic drug.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter for The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Richmond man charged in officer's killing sued over dog attack